The Game of Death
by DemonUntilDeath
Summary: The game of death begins with a single scream, a single knife. Those who are tagged do not become “it” as with the childish ningen game. Those who are tagged will be lost to life forever. Those who are tagged must die.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I officially own the Rekai tentai! I signed the contracts with their previous owners this after noon! Or...I would have if my pen hadn't broken.

Yeah, right, I own no such thing. Just daydreaming...or nightmaring I guess...is that a word? No...that's not a word...OKAY! I own the word Nightmaring! There. A new verb to add to the already piling collection of nonexistent words!

Kit: You're rambling.

**Notes**: To add to my already piling collection of fanfiction I'm currently writing, a long with every other thing I have to do in life, I'm adding another story!

Isn't summer great? I love it, at least. But that's only because I finally get the chance to write all these stories that I've had in the mind and works for years. So here we go!

**Warnings**: This story does have character death in it! Oh, don't act so surprised, you must have read the title if you're reading this! And geez, it's not like it's a "end of the story" death-cliffhanger!

I mean, it's right in the- ...uh...you'll see what I mean.

**More Warnings...that don't have so much rambling following them**: This story is rated for violence, death, angst, yaoi, and morbid happenings. One last time: Violence, Death, Angst, **YAOI YAOI YAOI**, and morbid happenings.

Get everything? Good.

**Summary**: The game of death begins with a single scream, a single knife. Those who are tagged do not become "it" as with the childish ningen game. Those who are tagged will be lost to life forever. Those who are tagged must die.

**Key**:

'_thoughts'_

_:Telepathy:_

"Speech"

-o-o-o-o-

**_The Game of Death_**

**Prologue **

-o-o-o-o-

?POV?

A single, heart-wrenching scream echoes across the snow-covered lands. Birds, once peacefully asleep take flight in the dead of night, frightened by the death call.

The scream slowly fades from existence as seconds of painful time pass. It leaves behind nothing to remember, nothing to see, nothing to hold on to but a broken memory of a past life.

Warm blood flows over my hands and down my wrists, staining the sleeves of my clothes. Some drops to the ground, an eerie painting of splattered red on white. It's the last beautiful thing my victim will ever make.

And it is made by blood; her blood.

Slowly, I pull the blade from within her body, listening as the dagger slides soundlessly from her ribs, leaving behind nothing but the soft sound of blood filling her dying lungs.

_Swish...Swish..._ A lullaby to the bloodthirsty.

Her body falls to the ground with a resounding, lifeless thud. Her light colored clothing is laid about her, soaking in the blood of its now-dead owner. Her beautiful, silky hair is strewn around her face and upon the ground. It mingles with the white of the snow and the red of her blood, painting the picture of a perfect death.

Looking down at the dagger, I begin to wipe it off with the hem of my clothing, leaving deep red splotches among the dark coloring. I take care not to wipe off all the blood. If my plan is to work, I must execute it with the utmost care and correctness.

They must not know.

I sheath the dagger and turn, leaving behind the once-beautiful, life filled body behind. As I walk, it begins to snow ever so lightly, a funeral to the fallen.

"The game has begun."

-o-o-o-o-

Don't panic, don't panic! The first chapter will be coming out almost immediately after this one. If anything, there may be a day's delay but no more. You needn't kill me for:

1. An extremely short chapter

2. the death of an unknown character

3. An unknown murderer with hardly any clues (if any), and

4...no, I think that's it...anything else I need to be killed for? Yeah, yeah, just leave it in a review.

Hope you guys enjoyed the morbid-ness!


	2. Chapter 1

**Dislcaimer**: Yep, yep, own nothing, nothing's new.

**Notes**: Sorry this chapter was out a bit later than I promised. Our modem died at my moms and my dad just set up the wireless (we've been having issues with it for about a year now) so my internet was shot for the better part of two days.

…That and this chapter just didn't come out like it was supposed to. My sincerest apologies.

**Warnings**: I don't even know if there's a death in this chapter. From here on out, besides a very very very sketchy outline, I have no idea what I'm doing.

I know the end and the major events, but no details or connecting information. So here we go.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**_The Game of Death_**

**Chapter 1**

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Yukina!"

Hiei shot up with a scream. His most immediate memories left him as he struggled with something wrapped around him, clinging to him. He fought with the invisible foe until he fell off of his soft surroundings, landing hard on his side.

A light gasp from the only other occupant of the room brought him back to reality and his mind slowly cleared. He glanced down, growling irrationally at the sheets wrapped tightly around his naked form.

They were pulled tight and still stretched onto the bed where the lone silhouette of another lay. The second occupant of the room sat up groggily and rubbed a fisted hand against his eye.

"Hiei?" his soft, borderline feminine voice sounded through the room, tired and fogged with sleep. The fire demon slowly climbed to his feet, images of a cloudy nightmare still flashing fresh across his memory.

Detangling himself from the sheets, he gently laid them back on the mattress and sat down on the edge of it, tucking one knee up. With a soft hand, he reached out and cupped his lover's cheek.

Fiery red hair fell around that sweetly innocent face and tickled the fire demon's hair. Forest green eyes with the brilliance of a thousand emeralds blinked in the dark room, searching out his lover's face in the dim light.

"Hiei? What happened?" he asked as he began waking himself up. The fire demon slowly moved his thumb in circles as he watched his lover fight a losing battle.

"Nothing, Fox," he replied quietly even as the pain of the loss in that nightmare struck him fresh. He gave a light smirk when Kurama moaned and collapsed back into the many pillows and fluffy down comforters.

With a returned smile, the fox grabbed Hiei's wrist and pulled him down. The fire demon seemed a bit surprised at first before allowing the gentle coaxing to continue. As he fell to the covers, Kurama pulled the youkai to him, their bodies fitting against each other perfectly.

Kurama nuzzled the fire demon's neck, breathing in the smell of slightly charred pine and fire. As Hiei leaned back against him, purring deep in his throat, Kurama spoke. His voice was no longer fogged by sleep but more amused with his youkai's purring. "Hiei, my love, I know you're not telling me the truth…"

The fire demon's purr immediately ended and he seemed to tense slightly. Kurama tightened his grip expectantly to prevent the fire demon from leaving. When Hiei realized that he would not be getting away from his lover's tight embrace, the youkai gave a tired sigh and relaxed his tense muscles.

"It was just a dream, Fox," Hiei replied in a sturdy voice, although his steady tone and determination was not going to last much longer if his fox kept nuzzling him like that.

"Dreams often have meanings, my little dragon," Kurama replied as he licked the soft skin of Hiei's neck. The fire demon began purring again, losing his immediate train of through, which was something about stubbornly winning the conversation.

"Meanings?" Hiei finally asked as he huddled backwards into Kurama, whose hand had begun traveling down his side and over his bare hip. The fire demon forced his voice to stay steady as Kurama's fingers began tracing feather-light patterns on his skin.

"You mean that dream you had last night, the one with you moaning," Hiei's voice dropped to a husky, seductive level and he could feel Kurama shiver, "and calling my name in a voice…like…this…"

He could feel Kurama slowly arousing behind him and he smirked as he began rocking his hips back gently. Kurama gave a moan and Hiei continued with his husky commentary, "Yes, that's almost exactly what it sounded like. Only, a bit deeper…"

Kurama bit his lip as he groaned; Hiei's rocking had steadily grown a bit faster. The fire demon smirked, "You're going to tell me that that had a meaning to it, too?"

"Yes," the fox panted as he tried to control his voice, holding back his urge to force Hiei's pace up a notch. "It…just about foretold everything that's going to happen in the very near future…"

"Oh really?" Hiei asked in a matter-of-factly voice. Kurama smirked and rolled the fire demon onto his back, climbing atop him to straddle his hips. The youkai smirked and lifted his upper body so he could steal a kiss from the youko, who allowed him the pleasure.

The fox smiled and bent down, pushing the fire demon back and gently pinning his arms over his head. Hiei watched him with burning crimson eyes as he leaned down and rubbed his nose against the fire demon's.

"But this won't get you out of telling me the truth, Dragon," the fox whispered and Hiei's eyes dulled slightly, glancing aside for a second. When he looked back at the fox, his crimson orbs had hardened slightly.

"It…was just my sister, Fox," the fire demon answered. "Just a dream. I used to have them before I found her."

Kurama immediately frowned and sat up, still straddling the fire demon's hips. Hiei didn't move as his wrists were released. He continued to stare into Kurama's eyes.

"Hiei, if you've had a nightmare about your sister, you shouldn't just pass it off," Kurama said softly but the fire demon only looked away, no longer able to keep his steady gaze on the fox.

"Fox…I don't want to talk about it," Hiei began glaring at the edge of the bed, barely visible around the mountain of pillows he was submerged in. Kurama growled slightly and leaned over him again, pinning his arms with an almost fierce expression.

"Don't avoid me, Hiei!" he growled, forcing the fire demon to look him in the eye as he hovered half a foot away from Hiei's face. He tightened his grip on the youkai's wrists as Hiei squirmed slightly.

"It was just a dream!" the youkai replied angrily, hiding more pain and fear in his anger than true rage. Kurama relaxed his grip slightly and his gaze softened as he stared in Hiei's cold eyes.

"Hiei, what did you dream of?" he asked quietly as he gently loosened his grip to nothing more than a light grasp. The fire demon once again glanced to the side before returning his gaze to Kurama.

"I dreamt of Yukina's death," he answered in a steady, unemotional voice. Kurama's eyes widened and he released the fire demon, sitting back on his hips.

"Hiei…I…sorry, I-" Kurama couldn't finish and he trailed his voice off into an uncomfortable silence. Hiei finally gave a sigh and pushed himself up on his elbows, the fox still atop him.

"Don't worry about it," he said as he averted his gaze to the curtain-covered window, a small stream of moonlight filtering through the center where the two cloths met. "I used to have dreams of her death all the time before I found her. It's just…this time felt so real."

"Hiei," Kurama began in an apologetic and soft voice, "you are right, it is probably nothing but a nightmare. But…it is said that twins have a mental connection, whether they realize it or not. I just…if it isn't just a dream, Dragon…"

When Kurama trailed off again, Hiei looked at him with soft eyes. Balancing on his left elbow, he raised his bandaged, right arm to brush the back of his hand against the kitsune's cheek.

"Thank you, Fox," Hiei whispered as he moved his hand to the back of Kurama's neck, pulling him gently forward until their foreheads met. "But it was just a nightmare, one that has no significance…However, that last dream you had might have potential meaning…"

Kurama smiled as Hiei captured his mouth.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The fox shifted slightly as he rolled over in the covers, enwrapping himself deeper in the warmth. He slept on, unaware of the blood red eyes that watched him; scanning his delicate skin, his peaceful face.

Hiei sat silently in the windowsill as he gladly kept watch over the fox, as he had done for the last three hours. The fox shifted slightly, attracting the fire demon's somewhat wandering gaze.

With a moan, brilliant green eyes slowly opened only to squint when bright sunlight shined directly into them. He gave an agitated moan and tried to roll over, hiding from the sunshine.

"Morning, Fox," Hiei spoke from the window, his voice keeping the youko from falling back into the darkness of sleep. "It's about time you woke up."

Although the fox let out another long moan as is mind begged for more sleep, he let out a small smile. He stretched out his arms over his head and arched his back, stretching his tired muscles.

"Morning," he replied through a yawn as he collapsed back to the bed. He rolled over so that he faced Hiei, giving the fire demon a loving, if not sleepy stare. "What time is it?"

The fire demon climbed off the sill and padded silently across the soft, thick carpet. He didn't show much of a smile, but Kurama could see the happiness in his crimson eyes and the fox practically beamed.

"About ten," the fire demon replied as Kurama moved over so he could sit down on the side of the bed. The fox wrapped his arms around his lover's waist and pulled him close.

"Hm, looks like I missed work…" he muttered slightly and Hiei shook his head at Kurama's seemingly nonchalant tone.

"Fox, it's Saturday." Kurama smiled and pulled Hiei closer into his chest, resting his chin against the fire demon's thigh.

"I know," he whispered in reply as he all but snuggled closer to the fire demon. "Just seeing if you were paying attention."

Hiei smirked and moved his arm to Kurama's face. He gently caressed his lover's cheek. Kurama closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, a blissful smile on his face.

The fire demon leaned down, bending over Kurama to gently press his lips against the fox's. He breathed in deep as Kurama gently kissed him back, keeping the caress gentle but passionate.

As Hiei moaned, about to deepen the kiss, a ring suddenly sounded through the apartment. He could feel Kurama growl against his lips and the fire demon grabbed the fox's hair to keep him from pulling away.

"Ignore it," he ordered against Kurama's mouth as the kiss became fierce, the fox disregarding the second ring of the phone. A third ring marked the beginning of de-clothing the fire demon, as he had gotten dressed that morning.

The fourth ring was cut short as the answering machine picked up. Hiei had lost his shirt by then and by the time the fox got to his pants, Yusuke's voice came almost shouting through the speaker.

"Kurama, you there, man? Come on, Kurama, wake up! You gotta wake up, Kurama, it's…." Yusuke's voice dropped from its panicky, shouting level to a desperate whisper. "It's Yukina, Fox-boy. We need you at the temple…and we need you to find Hiei. Please, hurry."

The answering machine went dead, but both occupants in the room had already frozen in their places, staring at the machine. Hiei turned to Kurama, eyes wide and fearful as his hands released Kurama's hair.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked with a scared tone. He sat up, releasing his hold on the youkai. When the fire demon only stared at him, giving no answer, Kurama gently touched his arm.

Hiei started slightly and seemed daze as he shook his head. "The…the dream, Fox…she's dead."

Kurama looked like he was about to cry as he enwrapped the fire demon in a tight hug. "No, we don't know that yet, Hiei. Please, just calm down. We're going to go to the temple and find out what's going on."

Hiei suddenly seemed to come to his senses and he gave an impassive nod as he climbed off the bed and threw his shirt back on. Kurama quickly got dressed and threw a heavy jacket over his long sleeved shirt as Hiei jumped out the window, katana in hand.

Kurama hurriedly grabbed his car keys and ran out of the house, sprinting down the few steps that led to the driveway. He shoved the car door open and turned the ignition on.

Hiei was long gone, already on his way to the temple as Kurama hurriedly pulled out of the driveway. He sped along the many roads that led to the mountain compound.

By the time he got there, somehow managing to drive safely, and rushed to the top of the steps, Yusuke was running towards him. With a wave of his hand and a barely in-time stop, Yusuke came up to him.

"It's Yukina, Kurama. She's…" Yusuke trailed off as Kurama's eyes caught something behind the detective. He gently pushed past the raven-haired man and walked over to the temple, where Genkai was standing on the corner of the porch.

He approached her silently; the old master was staring off into the mountains with sorrowful, steeled eyes. He gently put his arms up on the porch (see notes if you don't know how a Japanese temple is built) and looked up at her.

There was blood all over the front of her.

"Master Genkai," he inquired softly and watched as the old woman turned to him. Her green eyes widened as a tear rolled down the old woman's face.

"Fox…Kurama." Her voice was filled with guilt and pain, sorrow of the lost. The youko tilted his head slightly, watching her eyes carefully. "It's my fault," she whispered with wide eyes.

"Genkai?" Kurama wasn't sure what was going on, but the woman's wide-eyed look was something completely new to the fox. The old master looked almost fearful.

"It's my fault, Kurama. It's my fault Yukina's dead."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ah Ha! But please remember that this is no where near the end! And things aren't always what they appear!

So, here are some things for you to think about (and tell me in a review if you would like – I love when people give me guesses and criticism all at the same time!)

1. _Is Genkai guilty of killing Yukina_? (if you don't think so, go to 3 8D)

2. _Why would she kill her_?

3. _If not Genkai, then who_?

4. _And why_?

5. _And where is this going_?

Have gun guessing!

**Author's Notes**:

…_What time is it…About ten…_ Why was Yukina's body not found sooner? Why do you think?

… _He gently put his arms up on the porch…_Japanese temples are surrounded by a wooden…well, I guess it would be called a porch, as I can't find the name for it anywhere. Anyways, the temples are built in rectangular shapes on base columns that raise them up a good four feet off the ground. Almost all temples have this and you can see it in _The Poltergeist Report_.

So I hope you guys all enjoyed the story, and again I really apologize for the long wait. I promised this much sooner and writer's block along with Internet issues (grrr) postponed my promise.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Iiiiiiiii ooooooooowwwnnnnnn noooooooooooooooooooooooooothiiiiinnnnng!

Do you like my Whale Speak? I'm slightly off in pronunciation, I think, but I'm working on it.

**Notes**: My apologies for this taking so long. As most of you now know, I had a very looooong writer's block and it was quite annoying. Anyhoo, now I'm back and I have a major problem…I don't really remember where this story was going….-cough- Like…-ahem- why Genkai said it was her fault? Yeah…can't really remember why that was in there….-cough-

Oki-day, time to improvise!

For those of you reading Winter Snow, here is a completely OPPOSITE take of what Hiei might do were Yukina to die. Versatile, here we come!

-o-o-o-o-

**_Game of Death_**

_Chapter 2_

-o-o-o-o-

Kurama found Hiei on the other side of the temple (surprisingly) next to Kuwabara, though a good five feet separated them. The latter, unusually silent with tears streaming from his dark eyes, was sitting on a stone bench, half buried in the snow of the garden.

Hiei was before a stone marker, buried deep in the snow with a fresh drift all around it. He sat, kneeling with his arms limp in the snow, staring blankly at the carving within the stone. There was only a name, as a new grave stone would be erected come early spring, but it still held all the beauty and peaceful kindness that its marked once held.

The fox slowly approached his lover, gently touching Kuwabara on the shoulder, who shook with his silent tears, but nodded his head in thanks. Kurama continued towards Hiei before he knelt down beside the fire demon, folding his slender hands and whispering beneath his breath.

A silent prayer for one he had loved almost as dearly as Hiei; the sister-in-law he had never truly gotten to know.

When he had finished his kind words, he remained silently bowed, head tucked in respect and eyes softly closed. His breathing remained even and calm as he listened to the youkai beside him.

Hiei was tense; his muscles taunt yet stature slack. His breathing was slightly hitched, as if holding back the urge to let tears fall. Kurama silently prayed to his god that the fire demon would pull through.

Though he knew it would not be easy.

After more than ten minutes of silent mourning had passed, the fox finally opened his eyes, though he did not do so more than sorrowful slits. Slowly, he turned to Hiei.

The fire demon's eyes were ablaze with anger and sorrow, the two warring each other for dominance over his emotions. Likewise, his hands continued to fist and release the snow, creating and destroying small balls of ice.

Not daring to speak while his demonic lover fought with his anger, he raised his hand to place slender, pale fingers on the fire demon's shoulder. Hiei flinched away before he calmed his muscles, turning towards the fox.

Hiei's eyes were watery, but he blinked as soon as a tear threatened to fall and Kurama looked at him in sympathy and sorrow, gently letting his fingers slide away from the fire demon. He was surprised, however, when Hiei caught his hands before he could pull away and held it tightly, the grip almost crushing.

"Hiei?" he asked softly, glancing down at his fingers, tightly squeezed within the fire demon's smaller hands. The fire demon shook his head, signally him not to speak. Instead, without caring that Kuwabara was present and that Yusuke was watching the two of them from the corner of the temple, Hiei raised Kurama's hand and pressed it against his dry cheek.

"Don't, Fox," Hiei whispered as he leaned into the fox's hand, still holding his own over it. Kurama's eyes widened as a single tear fell from the corner of those lightly closed eyes. The crystal liquid rolled down Hiei's cheek and was stopped by the fox's hand. As it touched his skin, it crystallized and formed a crystal blue gem. The center of the amazing stone, however, swished and tossed with crimson liquid so dark it appeared almost black.

Kurama watched in horror-filled awe as the crystal fell to the snow beneath him. But the fire demon before him did not release his arm and another tear began to fall. The fox quickly raised his other hand and wiped away the offending water, stopping it from its fall.

Without a word, as Hiei had asked him to remain silent, he leaned forward and wrapped Hiei in a hug. The fire demon released his hand from his cheek and leaned into the touch, wrapping his arms around Kurama to cling to the fox's clothing. His body began to shake with silent sobs as Kurama held him close, the fire demon's soft hair and child-like face pressed against his chest.

He gently raised his hand and ran it through the fire demon's hair as he would a weeping child. Slowly beginning to rock back and forth with the fire demon pressing against him in his kneeled position in the snow, he silently closed his eyes and let his own tears fall.

-o-o-o-o-

By the time Yusuke had moved to get the two lovers out of the snow, as they had been sitting in silent weeping for more than two hours, Koenma had arrived at the temple.

In his teenage form (none knew why for none asked why) he was somber and sorrowful but remained formal in his visit. He quietly guaranteed Yukina's peaceful stay in the Reikai and her quick reincarnation into a good life.

Then he was gone, off to make sure he made good on his promise.

Genkai had remained within the temple for the rest of the fox's visit, sitting beside the statue in the largest room in the temple. She spoke to no one and refused to get into a clean set of clothes. She was, in a word, unresponsive.

Kurama, who had laid a sleeping fire demon in one of the spare bedrooms not ten minutes ago, entered the room in almost complete silence. Genkai had not looked up as he entered, but did so when he drew near to the statue.

"Master Genkai?" he asked softly, his voice as clear as ever but the evidence of his sorrow in the dried tear tracks on his flushed cheeks. The old master looked at him but did not respond, and so he continued. "What you said earlier…why?"

The old master remained silently staring into his green emeralds for several long moments. Finally, when Kurama did not make to leave or brake eye contact, she blinked and another tear fell.

"I left her alone, Fox-boy," she replied silently. "Koenma called me to the Reikai to discuss a possible problem." Her voice broke and several minutes had passed before she once more got her tone under control. "Koenma was delayed due to emergency orders by Enma-sama. Wh-when I finally got back…she was…she was dead."

Kurama closed his eyes against another fresh wave that washed over him and the stinging brought about in his eyes. He took a deep breath before he opened them, green orbs watery but strong.

"That is not for you to take blame for, Genkai," he all but whispered as he laid a gentle hand atop hers. She looked up at him, her eyes having lowered to the ground. "You're stronger than this; you always have been. You know that Yukina would not see you blaming yourself. She would not have anyone blamed for her death."

Genkai stared at him, once more, for long moments of silence before she quietly nodded, wiping away a tear. "You're right, Fox-boy. I suppose you're the brains of the group for a reason."

With that, she jumped down from the statue, landing beside him. He gave her a soft smile and replied, "Never as wise as you. Now come, we need to know what you found. If Yukina was murdered, we must know who."

-o-o-o-o-

She had been stabbed. That was about all the information they had.

It had been a deep wound that penetrated her stomach and had run up to her collarbone, shattering rib bone and tearing skin, muscle, and organ. She had been dead by the time she was dropped to the floor.

It might have been painful, but she had been granted a quick death.

Though the weapon was missing, the blade had to have been about a half foot and it looked as if it had been buried to the hilt. The blood spatter around her presented an interesting mystery but was read as plain as day. She had been stabbed and then dropped. The knife had been pulled out as she fell and later was wiped on something.

That was all the information they possessed. There was nothing else there to give them anything more.

Kurama sighed as he continued to gently stroke Hiei's hair, moving the silky strands softly back and forth, massaging the fire demon's skull. Hiei had collapsed after an hour and a half of crying and the fox had quietly moved him out of the snow and surrounding tear gems.

He was tucked under the sheets, but they had been rumpled and moved with his restless sleep. That is, until Kurama had entered the room. Hiei had almost immediately calmed under the fox's touch and his sleep had once more turned peaceful.

"So how long have you to been together?"

Kurama jumped at the sudden noise and turned, his hand covering part of Hiei's eyes in an almost protective manner. Yusuke stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame and watching the two with sorrowful eyes.

The fox frowned, having not even heard him enter the room. The frown died, however, when Hiei tossed gently, a small moan escaping him as he unconsciously sought the fox's hand once more. He quieted as Kurama started up his gentle petting once more.

With a sigh and his attention on Hiei, the fox demon answered, "It's been three years, Yusuke."

There was a long, low whistle that followed that and Kurama almost smiled. He would have, had the situation not been so dire.

"Why didn't you guys tell anyone?" Kurama looked over to the detective and gave a light shrug to his question. Yusuke's eyes showed that he wouldn't take that sort of answer and the fox gave a tired sigh.

"We were just more comfortable keeping it between us. We never had to worry about what any of you might think of our relationship and…" there was a long pause in Kurama's words before he continued, "Our missions might have been compromised had you known. It is likely that Koenma would stop sending Hiei and me, as we could easily throw the mission if one of us were in danger.

"Plus," he added quickly before Yusuke could interrupt, "you would undoubtedly act different, not letting either of us get in any sort of dangerous situation."

Yusuke closed his mouth, having to actually think about that, only to find it true. He would have worked harder at protecting both of them in order to keep one from losing the other.

After a while, he simply nodded and Kurama turned his attention back to Hiei, feeling the interview was over. But he was wrong. The detective, within minutes, asked, "Are you happy?"

Such a question made Kurama turn once more to the detective, watching him through somewhat surprised eyes. After a moment, though, his eyes turned almost happy, despite the lingering sorrow.

"I love him, Yusuke," he answered softly as he continued to gently move Hiei's hair back and forth. "What else could make me happier?"

Yusuke watched him for a long time before he smiled at the fox, a sincere smile instead of his normal stupid grins. "I'm glad, Fox-boy. I was wondering when you'd finally get laid."

Kurama's eyes widened and he stared and Yusuke, who was now grinning ear to ear (so much for sincerity.) The fox, bright red, quietly hid his laughter behind his hand, feeling it wasn't the appropriate time.

Yusuke came over, now sober, and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find whoever did this, Fox-boy. We will, alright?"

Kurama's face turned up in a sad smile but he gave a grateful nod. "Thank you, Yusuke."

-o-o-o-o-

It was late that night when Yusuke got home and he moved upstairs in absolute silence that only one with super-human abilities could pull off. He silently slipped into his room, glancing at his wife asleep in the bed with a sad smile.

He moved over to the bed and quietly leaned over Keiko, sound asleep. The detective gave a soft smile as he thanked every god he could name that he was blessed with her.

"I'll never let you get hurt," he whispered softly before he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek. She breathed out an almost content sigh and Yusuke smiled as he pulled away.

Throwing off his shoes and aiming for the closest (aiming being the key word) he pulled off his socks and through them in the laundry hamper. He pealed off his shirt, giving a somewhat loud yawn as he did, and threw the shirt at the hamper.

It fell out due to an overflowing amount of clothing. Frowning (had it been that full this morning?) he moved over to it and picked up his shirt. With the room dark, he frowned at the large amount of clothes in the hamper, unable to see most of them. Shrugging, he pushed his shirt into the hamper and froze.

Something hard clinked almost beneath human hearing and his hand met something cold and wet. With wide, terrified eyes, he pulled his shirt back out and looked down at the pile.

"No…God, no!" he whispered as he moved away. Flicking on the light (to a groaning Keiko) he looked into the hamper and froze in terror.

Lying atop a bloody shirt was a long, half-foot dagger stained with dried blood.

-o-o-o-o-

That was fun!

Kit: Yes, murdering others and blaming housewives. Great fun.

Yep!

Kit: …It's time to get a new psychiatrist. This one is obviously not working.

Well, once more, here we are with a new person possible for the role of the killer. What do you think?

**Author's Notes**:

…_a crystal blue gem…The center of the amazing stone…swished with crimson liquid so dark it appeared almost black…_ Come on, I couldn't go with the normal dark red or black stone. I had to do something unique. So, his tears froze like a koorimes but the center remained liquid, and dark red to symbolize his "dirty" blood.

Hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the short chapter, but I couldn't fit anymore in between those parts. Least not, anymore that I really wanted to add!

Please review!


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I don't like writing these things, but for some reason, I can't manage to write a chapter without writing one of these.

**Notes**: So, this wasn't requested or anything, but I decided it had been long enough since I updated, and I left you all at such a horrible place.

Which is why I left you at an even worse place this time.

-o-o-o-o-

**_Game of Death_**

_Chapter 3_

-o-o-o-o-

"Keiko didn't kill anyone!" Yusuke screamed out, slamming his fist down on the desk. Keiko, standing beside him jumped slightly at his anger and Koenma flinched, being on the receiving end of that hostility.

"Please, Yusuke," he began calmly, trying to reason with his detective. "We are not accusing her yet. However, her fingerprints were found on a knife covered in Yukina's blood, as were here clothes!"

"Fingerprints?" Yusuke echoed, his voice possibly even more ferocious than before. "Let me see that damn knife! There aren't any fingerprints on it because Keiko didn't kill Yukina!"

"Yusuke, please!" Koenma barked out this time, his tone a tad fierce as his patience wore thin. "I can assure you that the knife is in the vaults being analyzed as we speak. I can also tell you right now that Keiko's fingerprints _were_ found on the murder weapon!"

"That's impossible!" Yusuke screamed, leaning forward to grab his boss by the collar, but a gentle hand stopped him, coming between those hands and their target.

"Yusuke, please relax and calm down. I am sure Keiko has done nothing wrong," Kurama spoke softly, his voice comforting and tranquil. Yusuke found himself wanting to believe those words, wanting to do as they said and he retracted his arms, though his hands fisted in the uncontained rage.

Koenma gave his calmest spirit detective a grateful smile before turning serious eyes back to Yusuke. Keiko stood beside her husband, her head bowed ever so slightly in a more sorrowful appearance than a guilty one.

"Now listen, Yusuke. We have proof by weaponry, blood, and fingerprint identification that may possibly link your wife to the crime. That makes her a suspect, Yusuke, not a killer," Koenma began to explain calmly, but it was obvious that he was doing so to avoid any more antagonistic reactions from his best tentai.

"However," he continued, approaching the subject extremely cautiously, "because she is a suspect, we must keep her in the Reikai until we can prove her innocence or…"

"She's innocent." The growl was menacing and Kurama had to put another hand on Yusuke's shoulder in hopes of both calming him as well as comforting his friend and ally.

"We know she is, Yusuke," he said softly. Hiei stood beside him, so close that he looked, in a manner, like a young child clinging to a parent's leg in fear or safety. He had not spoken a word since Kurama had held him at the temple, having slept until woken at the news of a potential suspect.

But even Hiei could not bring himself to believe that Keiko was Yukina's killer.

He was barely aware of himself through his grief, but he could think through the anatomy and the physics of the crime. Keiko simply didn't have the motivation, the mental ability, or the physical or anatomical strength it would take to stab a knife into such a sweet girl and rip it up into her shoulder.

It was plain as that.

"Koenma, surely we do not have to treat Keiko as a hardened criminal," Kurama began once more, his voice the diplomatic entrepreneur that could talk itself out of any situation. "As a suspect, she should be watched, but she does not need to be imprisoned. Please allow us to guard her at the temple. We will hold her for three days in which you have to prove her innocent or…guilty."

The junior prince of Reikai looked to Kurama and observed his oldest member for some time. The room grew awfully silent as Koenma's amber eyes stared the fox up and down, locking on his eyes for the longest amount of minutes.

Yusuke stood by, focused on nothing more than keeping his hands fisted and off of the neck of his boss.

Keiko stood by, unable to do anything but fear for the fact that her clothes were found covered in blood and she was being charged with murder.

Kuwabara sat on the side of the Reikai office, his head held between his hands, bent over in the chair and staring at the floor between his knees. He had not spoken since the he had woken from a restless sleep, screaming out his love's name.

Like Hiei, he was barely in his right mind. But unlike the fire demon, he could not discern between possible and impossible. All he knew was that standing four feet from him was the most likely suspect in his only true love's murder case.

And he was hanging onto every inch of sanity that he could just to stop himself from ripping her heart out.

Hiei seemed to be the only one in the room who stood, glaring at the lord before them for his daring observational stare of the fox. Through all his anger and his sorrow that drove him near his own limit, the sight still lit a flame of jealousy.

Which was, in the end, completely unjustified as Koenma just nodded. "You are our smartest member, Kurama," he said but his voice did not contain any hint of flattery. It was simply logical to follow Kurama's word. "If you think she will be safe from herself and from others there, then I will allow it."

The fox gave a small bow to the lord and quietly led Yusuke, who was escorting his wife, to the door. Hiei followed his lover close, sending one more glare to Koenma for a seemingly pointless reason. However, he paused at the door when Kuwabara had not even moved from his spot on the chair.

Hiei glanced from the fox, who was still escorting the married couple out of the Junior Reikai, back to Kuwabara and slowly turned back around. Walking over, he put one arm on Kuwabara's forearm, another on his shoulder, and literally heaved him out of the chair.

It was unlike Hiei to care that much, and Koenma watched in interest as Kuwabara shoved him roughly away, but the fire demon wouldn't take it. Two hands grabbed the orange-haired detective roughly by the shirt and began hauling him out of the office.

But the movement was unnecessary, for the most part. After his initial refusal to move, it seemed that Kuwabara had no more strength to argue, letting the fire demon lead him out of the toddler's office and out of the Reikai completely.

They left behind a curiously frowning Koenma.

-o-o-o-

"Go through it again."

"Yusuke, please-"

"Just do it, Keiko!" Yusuke growled, balling his fists in frustration as he paced their bedroom above her parent's Ramen shop. "I- I have to find the proof that'll get us out of this."

Keiko watched her husband with fearful eyes. She didn't know what was going to happen to her, and she was terrified that they wouldn't be able to prove her innocence. She'd watched crime and law shows on TV several times and they all said the same thing: "the evidence will tell us your story."

But what if they didn't find all the evidence? Or what if they misread something, or ignored it, or took something that was planted as the truth?

What would happen if they _didn't_ tell her story. What if they told a completely different story that would have her imprisoned in the Reikai for the next one hundred years?

Keiko shivered, biting her lip to keep back tears. Unconsciously she began fiddling with the ends of her long brown hair, pulled back into a ponytail that fell over her shoulder. Yusuke stopped his pacing as this movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

He knew his wife well, and fidgeting with her hair meant she was nervous. He gave a soft sigh and moved over, kneeling before her where she sat on the bed. The detective reached out and gently took either of her hands in his, holding them in comfort.

"I'll get you out of this, Keiko," he whispered as he looked deep into her eyes. "I know you didn't do this, and I'll make Koenma see it. I'll prove it to everyone."

Keiko watched her husband with tears in her eyes, glancing away as the fear overwhelmed her. She didn't want to doubt her lover, but there was always that thought of what would happen if he couldn't. Yusuke gently lifted her chin and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle whisper of love.

"I promise you, Keiko," he whispered against her soft, supple lips. "I won't let you get hurt.

The brunette just nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pulling him close, flushing their bodies together. She buried her head against his chest, trying to stop the small sobs that wracked her body or the tears that flowed forth from her eyes, wetting her husband's shirt.

And Yusuke just held her – he would hold her for as long as it took, forever if need be.

But he had to pull away when a buzzing came between them and both looked down to Yusuke's pocket where he had slipped Botan's communicator before leaving the Reikai office. He glanced at Keiko, who only gave a nod and gently pulled away, wiping the residuals of tears that had ceased only minutes ago.

As he opened the blue communicator which looked far too alike to a compact, he saw his wife turn around and quietly leave the room, fearful of what news would be received through the small communication device. Yusuke flipped it open.

"Hey," came the small voice from the other end, not as cheerful or happy as it had always been. It was a rather empty sound because Botan should never be sad. There shouldn't be anything horrible enough to make her sad.

It was an awful sound to here.

Yusuke swallowed heavily as he nodded into the compact. "Hey, Botan," he said, his voice cracking but he cleared his throat to make sure it wouldn't happen again. "Is there any…news?"

Botan nodded and, by the way she didn't seem to be bursting into tears, Yusuke took it as neutral news, considering she wasn't jumping for jow and smiling like the giddy school girl she acted like. The detective took a deep breath, steeling himself for the information.

But it never came.

Instead, the blue haired assistant instructed, "Koenma wants to see you in his office. He doesn't want it said over the communicator, in case it isn't reliable…he-he said that he doesn't want to get your…your hopes up, Yusuke."

The raven-haired man was silent for a long time before he nodded, closing his eyes to keep the emotion out of his face. "I understand, I'll be there soon."

Botan nodded and shut her communicator, ending Yusuke's view in static blackness. He slowly closed the blue device and slid it back into his pocket. Looking towards the door to the ramen shop where Keiko had exited, he sighed and grabbed his jacket, heading for it.

Keiko was behind the bar of the ramen shop, mindlessly chopping various vegetables to ready for the next day's sales. She didn't turn as Yusuke came in and he slowly approached her from behind. Reaching out, he gently laid his hand on hers, pausing her movement with the knife.

He pulled the sharp object from her grasp, laying it down on the counter before her, next to the half chopped onions. The man gently pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. Laying his head on her shoulder, Yusuke just held her, breathing in her sent.

"Koenma wants me back in the Reikai," he whispered softly after the silence turned into an unspoken question on Keiko's part. The brunette nodded, though her hands were shaking as she gripping Yusuke's arms that surrounded her. "I won't be long, I promise."

Keiko nodded once more, turning in his arms to look at him, look deep into his chocolate eyes and tangle of raven hair. She studied his face, as if this was the last time she'd see it. The look in her eyes, the look that told Yusuke she feared him leaving, feared not seeing him again, sent a deep frown over his face and he cupped her cheek.

"There's nothing to fear, Keiko," he said softly, but when that look did not falter, he frowned again and began rethinking his own thoughts. Perhaps he shouldn't leave Keiko alone. Biting his lip, he moved over to the phone, releasing his wife. "I want you to go over to Kurama's."

The brunette blinked at her husband, not understanding the sudden words and her brow furled in confusion. "What? Wh-Why, Yusuke?"

Yusuke shrugged, picking up the phone as he began dialing the fox's telephone number. "I just don't want you alone. If I can't be here to protect you, I'll get someone else who can." He put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Fox-boy?" his voice cracked again and he cursed himself.

"Yusuke?" The fox sounded surprised and his voice became clearer, rather than the slightly muffled answer he had given. "Yusuke, is something wrong? What is it?"

The worry in Kurama's voice was a relief to Yusuke's ears and he managed a smile as he glanced to Keiko. "Nothing's wrong, K'rama, but Koenma wants me to return to the Reikai. Some sort of new…new information on the c-case."

The response was immediate and Yusuke thanked the fox for always knowing what was on his mind. "I'll come stay with Keiko while you're gone."

"Thanks, Fox-boy," he responded and knew the relief in his voice would convey his true worry. He could practically see Kurama's reassuring smile.

"I'll walk over there right now."

Yusuke hung up the phone and turned to his wife, who was biting her lip gently. He gave a more reassuring smile, one with more confidence than he had earlier held. "It'll be alright, Keiko. I just don't want you alone right now."

He swept her up into a hug once more, running his hand through her hair as she leaned against him. He kissed the top of her head. "Kurama will be here soon."

His pocket buzzed again and Keiko gently pulled away as Yusuke cursed the damn machine with its horrible timing. Keiko smiled softly at him, the first positive look he had seen since they had found the bloodied knife last night.

It was enough to bring a grin to his face.

"Go ahead, Yusuke," she said softly as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I'll be fine waiting for Kurama. Go to Koenma."

The detective caught her chin as she began pulling away and pressed his lips to her in a passionate, albeit mandatory kiss. When he pulled away, grinning as his normal self, he gave her a quick thumbs up before heading out the door.

Keiko's smile faded as the door closed behind him, leaving her in the empty ramen shop.

-o-o-o-

Kurama buried his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket, causing the cloth to hug tighter to his thin frame. Hiei had been telling him he needed to eat more before this whole mess started, and he almost laughed at how pointless it all seemed now- how trivial earlier facts of life had become.

He shivered in the cold breeze that blew past and stung his unprotected face and ears. The temperature had dropped in the last two days to an almost record low. The chances that snow would soon fall on Tokyo's ground were almost undeniable. Kurama wrapped his jacket even tighter.

The suburban streets he walked, near the outer edges of Tokyo city, were nearly void of any life. It was nearing the darker hours of the night and the only light were dim street lamps that lit the sidewalks and streets as much as the moon high above did.

The fox bent his head down to keep the next blast of merciless wind away from his face as much as possible, sending his hair whipping around him. He forced his way down the street against the wind, heading for Yusuke's ramen shop.

He had left a nearly sleeping Hiei back at his apartment, waking the fire demon long enough to tell him where he was going. The hiyoukai had been far too drousy to object, just nodding and drifting back to sleep.

Kurama figured it was a good thing. Hiei, while gruff and rude on the exterior was actually a ridiculously protective mate when it came down to it. No doubt, had the fire demon been more awake and not so intoxicated on the sake Kurama had reluctantly allowed him to have, he would have refused letting him go out alone when a killer was on the loose.

The fox smiled gently at the thought of his overprotective lover, but it was tainted with the sorrows of Hiei's depression for his sister. The next few months would be hard, getting both the fire demon and Kuwabara to rise above their loss. It would take pain, tears, and dedication from the rest of them, but he knew that they would be able to get past it and live with Yukina's memory of life, not the memory of her death.

As Kurama rounded the corner, coming onto the street of Yusuke and Keiko's shop, he stopped dead at the sudden feeling of dread that flowed into his body. He looked ahead at the empty street, greeted only by the whipping wind and he shivered, but not from the cold.

Something was wrong.

Kurama broke into a run, ignoring the freezing wind that protested his movements and the cold pavement which was soon to grow icy with the coming frost. His burst of speed took him to the ramen shop in seconds and he skidded to a stop, grabbing the handle of the door and yanking it open.

He could not stop the scream that ripped at his throat as he beheld the sight beyond that door.

**-o-o-o-**

Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm awful. Just wait, the cliffhangers get as bad as the plot does.

Well, that's one chapter of a story down. I hope you all enjoyed it. I've got another chapter planned out, but it's not written fully. Hopefully it won't take too long.

So, what does everyone think Kurama saw? It's not too hard to guess the initial: Something's happened to someone, obviously. But what and by WHO?

And is Kurama next?

-EVIL grin-

Please review your opinions and your critiques on my writing performance of late. Have a good one, everyone!

P.S. To those of you who loooove to beat me with the baseball bat in the name of grammar...I'm sorry. I proof read, but I was sort of in a daze, like when you read a text book and find yourself having to read the same paragraph ten times before you realize you're not taking in any of it at all. So I apologize greatly, I'm sure there are many mistakes that I missed.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: Still writing these.

**Notes**: I don't believe I have any, other than I'm very sorry for what I do to the characters.

-grins- I love this story – I get to mass mutilate people!

**Warning**: Very bloody chapter ahead. I repeat: Very Bloody Chapter. Don't eat while reading this chapter : )

-o-o-o-

There was something cold in the warmth that surrounded him, burrowing him in fluffy comfort and he wrapped himself tighter around that condolence. But that coldness persisted, seeping down through the heat he clung to until he could no longer escape it, wrapped in the invasion.

Hiei muttered incoherent curses as he came too, opening his blood red eyes to the bluish light of the night hours. It did not take long to find the source of chill that had invaded his slumber.

Kurama was missing.

The fire demon glanced around, slowly at first. It was a mere curiosity, a sleepy insistence that he needed to find his mate. It was often that he would awake without his lover beside him; Kurama hardly ever slept solidly though the night.

But something slowly occurred to Hiei as he realized his eyes were sore and stung and his cheeks were clammy from recent dampness. He had been crying, something he had never done before.

And he had been crying because he'd lost Yukina.

Hiei bolted up, his muscles tense and eyes now racing around the room. His fox wasn't there and there was a murderer – a brutal murderer – on the loose. He shoved the covers off of his half dressed body, grabbing his cloak and wrapping it around his naked torso.

With his katana on his belt he was at the windowsill in seconds, pushing out the glass panes. Kurama's apartment was on the third floor, but one requirement when the fox searched for a place was that there would be a tree leading to his window, for a specific demon's reasons, obviously.

The fire demon was about to jump to the thick branch of the heavy oak when he blinked, a small, hazy memory surfacing from the depths of his mind.

"_I'm going over to Yusuke's to watch over Keiko. I will be back soon, firefly."_

The hiyoukai blinked again and then narrowed his eyes angrily. What the hell was his fox thinking, going out across town _**alone**_ with a murderer on the loose?! Hiei growled in his throat and jumped to the tree branch, teeth clenched as he leapt to the ground and began speeding his way across the city to Yusuke's ramen shop.

He wasn't halfway there when he heard the scream that ripped through his mind and sent terror through every inch of him. His heart clenched and began beating faster as he identified that scream. The fire demon's feet froze, separate from his mind for several seconds, nearly tripping him before he could recover.

It didn't matter how far away he was from Kurama, he would have heard that scream from the Makai.

"No!" he screamed out in fear and rage as his speed nearly doubled and he skidded to a halt outside the ramen shop, eyes widening at the sight before him.

**-o-o-o-**

Kurama stumbled back, shaking as he beheld a sight he knew he would never be able to erase from his memory. The door grabbed at him, the handle getting caught on his jacket, tearing it off of him as he stumbled back. The fox fell onto the ground as his eyes never left the figure standing in the center of the room.

Blood was splattered on every wall of the ramen shop, on every stool and table, on every inch of wood and space. There was no space left that wasn't dripping with the splash of crimson red liquid. It pooled on the ground as the sound of its drips echoed through the silence that pertained.

The fox stared at the figure in the center of the room, holding the head of one he had come to protect. Kurama's palms became clammy with sweat and he could distantly feel the sharp bite of the cement under him. Its cold and icy surface made his bottom cold and his hands sting as he shook, staring into the horror scene played out before him.

And ever so slowly, Kuwabara turned to stare into his friend's viridian eyes, his own beady orbs blank. Blood spatter was splashed upon his cheeks and his clothes and hands were smeared with the liquid.

Kurama stared at his comrade, friend, and fellow tentai in shaking horror.

Kuwabara glanced back down at the severed head he held by the hair, those long brown tresses now soaked thoroughly in their own blood. Keiko's eyes were opened wide, brown depths filled with unseeing terror, no longer alive to the world around them. Her mouth sat slightly open, lips a pale and unmoving pink, splattered with blood that had previously dripped from them.

What remained of her spinal cord and wind pipe dangled from the severed, rough flesh that slowly dripped blood upon the already spattered ground, a rigid white tube and flashes of off-white bone. The small strings and fibers of flesh and blood vessels that had failed to separate as neatly as the others swung slightly in a wet, thick rhythm. It sickened Kurama to look upon, yet he could not take his eyes away.

"I'm sorry, Kurama," the orange haired man whispered as he looked upon the woman he had murdered mere minutes before. "…I'm sorry."

The fox suddenly leapt to his feet, running into the shop in mere seconds and grabbed the last remnants of Keiko from Kuwabara, tearing them from unresponsive hands with a ragged shout. He cradled the bleeding appendage to his chest, arms wrapped around her as he took a defensive, straddled stance. He stood mere feet from the mourning man, all without the true awareness of knowing what he was doing.

"I'm so sorry."

Kurama just stared at him in horror, huddling over Keiko's remains. "Wh-Why…Kuwabara- what have you done?"

"Kurama, I-" Kuwabara took a step forward but stopped abruptly as he found the tip of a sword at his throat.

Hiei stood between his lover and his friend.

"Stay away from him," the fire demon hissed angrily, glaring at him with fiery red eyes that had yet taken in the full scene around them, having just blurred into existence seconds ago. That sword pulled away just slightly, but not enough to bring any form of comfort to its subjected.

"Hiei-"

"Did you kill Yukina, Kuwabara?" Hiei interrupted the orange haired oaf sharply, his hand reaching back as Kurama grabbed at him, the fox obviously in a form of confused shock and his body moving on instinct.

The tentai's eyes widened and he shook his head in horror. "No! No, I didn't kill her! I loved her, Hiei! …I- I loved her…I swear to you…" His voice cracked and he hung his head, arms hanging limp at his sides. "I loved her."

Hiei sheathed his sword, a movement that surprised both men watching. Kurama looked up at him, still holding the remains of his charge, holding her tightly in lasting shock. The blood from her still pumping wound began to seep into his clothing, pressing the warm liquid to the skin of his chest and abs, slowly running down the rest of him.

He didn't seem to notice.

"Let go of her, Kurama," Hiei said softly, watching Kuwabara closely. "…He has killed in grief, there is nothing we can do for him…and nothing we can do for Keiko."

The kitsune looked down at those lifeless eyes and his own widened in horror, as if suddenly coming back to himself and realizing for the first time what it was he held within his arms. He quickly lowered her remains to the nearby table, closing those lifeless orbs and turning that devastating look away from him.

The incessant _drip drip_ of her blood finally stopped.

Kuwabara stumbled slightly and sunk to the ground amidst the blood that pooled around him. He buried his head in his hands and wept; wept for his loss, for his deeds, for his grief, and for his blood covered hands that had taken the life of his best friend's love.

Hiei turned around and took Kurama into his arms, holding the bloodied fox as silent tears began slipping from his lover's eyes. He hadn't known Keiko very well and he knew that the fox hadn't known her that well either but it didn't matter.

Their friend had killed another, one who they knew was innocent. And they not only wept for her death or their murdering friend, but for Yusuke, who would not be the same after this night.

**-o-o-o-**

The hanyou demon knew something was wrong the second he re-entered the human world. He could feel it echoing through his bones and shaking deeply into his heart. It caused his feet to stumble as he exited the portal and he lifted his hand to his non-beating demon nucleus.

"Keiko," he gasped out, clenching at his chest as he stumbled for a breath. He clambered forward, regaining his footing before he took off faster than human ability, vanishing into nothing more than a moving blur.

The coppery smell of blood filled the air more than a mile before he reached the ramen shop and his teeth were bared as he landed in front of his home. The door had been ripped off one hinge and a jacket hung from the handle. But he was unconcerned with such details, taken instead by the red.

There was red everywhere, nothing spared from its terror and sorrow.

Nothing except one figure dressed in black, holding onto a silent fox. Kuwabara was huddled by the ramen counter, shaking as he held his head in his hands.

Yusuke couldn't take his brown eyes away from the sight that he beheld. All that blood… His wife wasn't there. Where was Keiko? Where was she?!

Kurama suddenly gasped and went rigid, pulling from Hiei's arms to turn and stare at the hanyou that stood, shocked, in the doorway of the bloodied shop. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to move. He could hardly remember how to breath. "Y-Yusuke…"

The hanyou grabbed the fox's shoulder, suddenly in front of him in the blink of an eye. The fox gasped in surprise and Hiei immediately had a tight grip on the arm that intruded upon his lover, should Yusuke forget himself in grief as Kuwabara had.

But Yusuke had no intent of hurting him; he had his mind, even if he was slowly losing it.

"Where is she, Kurama?" he asked in a broken, panicked voice. He looked the fox up and down, seeing his blood spattered chest and arms. But there was no wound on his body, no pain in his movements.

"Yusuke…I-I'm sorry," he whispered, not knowing what else there was to say to his friend, his dearest friend who had asked him alone to look after Keiko. The fox gently wrapped his hand around the digits that held his shoulder tight. "I didn't make it in time…I'm so sorry."

Tears were flowing from Kurama's green eyes and Yusuke soon followed, trying to hold them back with fierce determination. He blinked and looked away, trying to raise his voice above the lump in his throat that threatened to choke him.

This wasn't happening. Things like this – they didn't happen!

"Where is sh-she?" he asked, his voice cracking. He released Kurama and looked around, frantically almost. "Wh-where is her b-body?"

The fox tried to grab his arm, tried to stop him from looking. "Yusuke, I don't think-"

"Where is she, Kurama?" he screamed out and watched the fox's face betray him. Kurama had tried not to move under that gaze, but he flinched and his eyes glanced to the side for only a moment before he could gain control of them.

Hiei tried to grab the hanyou as he pushed Kurama to the side and took a staggered breath at the sight of his wife's severed head lying upon the shop table.

"N-no!" he screamed out, starting forward when Hiei tackled him to the ground, pulling his hands behind his back and pinning him to the bloodied wooden surface with a knee to his back. "No! No no no! Release me, Hiei! Let go of me!"

Tattoos began flickering upon his skin and his hair rapidly grew and shortened repeatedly, flashing between his two forms. His eyes flashed at the ground, struggling against the fire demon upon him. Those dark brown eyes sought heaven-ward with tears in their eyes, desperate to once more see the happy, cheerful smile of his wife. "Release me!" he screamed, voice deepening with the command, "I am a demon lord, release me!"

"You are not my lord, Detective," Hiei bit out as he forced his strength down upon the younger demon beneath him. "You are my friend," he said in a softer tone, "and I don't want to hurt you. Please stop. Mourn your loss in sorrow, not in anger."

Kurama took a step forward, kneeling down on the ground as the fire demon released a now sobbing Yusuke, who all but climbed into the kitsune's lap to sob his tears against a soiled, bloodied shirt. The fox just held him, arms wrapped around the neck and shoulders of his best friend, whose upper body curled into his lap and cried for the loss of the only woman he had ever loved.

Hiei slowly stood and turned away, looking to Kuwabara. He gave a hard sigh and closed his eyes.

_How did we come to this_?

The fire demon moved over and knelt in front of Kuwabara, just staring at him until the shaking man finally looked up. His beady eyes were bloodshot, sore and aching as he stared into crimson eyes that accused but not condemned.

"Hiei…" he looked away, knowing what he had done was wrong and knowing he would never be able to atone for it, yet he wasn't sorry for killing _Keiko_ – he was sorry for killing a loved one of his friends. He knew that he had taken his best friend's wife, and for that he wept. Kuwabara bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry."

"What you did," Hiei began slowly, his deep voice holding no judgment, but holding no sanctuary either, "is irreversible and unforgivable. It was foolish and stupid…but you have done it, and there is no going back."

Kuwabara nodded and only kept his eyes away. Hiei gently put a hand on his shoulder, "But you did it out of loss…and you did it for Yukina. I can not blame you, Kuwabara. I will stand at your trial in Reikai."

Kuwabara stared up at him with wide eyes and only nodded. He had already known he would go to Reikai prison, but he already had expectations of the death penalty. With Hiei's words, he was being told he might live beyond tomorrow. The orange-haired man might not know if he deserved that, but he could only nod, knowing the fire demon was doing him a great favor in the little kindness he ever showed.

The hiyoukai gently pulled away as he heard Yusuke stand, a worried Kurama hovering nervously near him. The fire demon turned to look at the hanyou lord, whose hair had reverted to its human form, tattoos now absent from his pale skin. Tears still streamed from his eyes but they were in a constant flow, no longer ragged and uncontrolled.

"Yusuke, he knows what he has done and will be judged by Koenma," the fire demon stated firmly, leaving little room to argue. Yusuke didn't look as if he wished too and only nodded, but still took the steps forward.

Kuwabara climbed to his feet in silence and acceptance. All that stood between two best friends was one fire demon who didn't want to lose either of them. Yusuke locked onto crimson eyes.

"I will take him to Reikai, Hiei," he said just as firmly as the fire demon had. And the dragon master didn't know what to do, staring at the detective with firm eyes, trying to read the brown orbs that spoke of sorrow and loss.

But as a hand was laid on the fire demon's shoulder from behind, he stepped to the side, accepting Kuwabara's choice in the matter. The orange-haired member of their team removed his limb from Hiei's cloak and looked up into Yusuke's chocolate eyes.

"Take me to the Reikai, Yusuke," he said in a soft voice, hoarse from the tears he had laid before him.

Yusuke merely nodded and went to step forward when a thin, delicate hand encased his wrist. He turned to meet Kurama's bright green eyes that spoke worries for his teammates.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid, Yusuke," Kurama whispered softly as he released the arm of his friend. Yusuke only nodded curtly and stepped up to Kuwabara. He walked past his best friend and out of the Ramen shop door, the taller man following in silence.

The two left behind the blood of their loved and the tears of their friends.

Hiei gently took Kurama's hand in his bandaged one, the fox squeezing tightly as they watched their fellow teammates leave, both fearing the future.

Yusuke turned back to look at the two lovers only once, staring at them for mere seconds, only long enough to barely catch Kurama's eyes.

And both fox and hanyou knew at that moment; Yusuke would not be keeping his promise to Kurama.

-o-o-o-

It is finito!

Well, just the chapter of course. There's plenty more to come after this.

Sorry for the bloody description and scene of Keiko's murder. I think I've been reading too much X/1999.

Sooo much fun.

Please review if I haven't sickened you!


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